Separate adjustable leg for a ladder



May 14, 1963 E. TRUMPOLT ETAL 3,089,563

SEPARATE ADJUSTABLE LEG FOR A LADDER Filed June 22, 1962 INVENTORS l4 LEWIS E.TRUMPOLT g FRANKLIN J.TRUMPOLT 3a 32 Z g 5 J4 ATTORNEY United States Patent $389,563 SEPARATE ADJUSTABLE LEG FOR A LADDER Lewis E. Trumpolt and Franklin J. Trumpolt, both of 8 Marjorie St., Hudson, Mass. Filed June 22, 1962, Ser. No. 204,491 4 Claims. (Cl. 182-401) This invention relates to a leveling device for a ladder so that the ladder may be firmly set on uneven or sloping ground, and the principal object of the invention resides in the provision of a separate adjustable and extensible leg device for the purpose described which comprises a pair of channels facing each other and adapted to grip a side rail of the ladder in adjusted position thereon, this device being particularly adapted to extend beyond the lower end of the ladder rail and includes means for quickly and easily clamping the parts to strongly grip the side rail of the ladder to act as an extended leg in adjusted position along the rail.

The invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly set forth in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the device showing the same in open free condition;

FIG. 2 is a similar view showing the same clamped; and

FIG. 3 is a section on an enlarged scale on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

In carrying out the present invention, there are provided a pair of opposite but similar members in the form of channels and these are indicated at and 12. Each channel comprises a long leg 14, 16 and a short leg 18, 20, the legs being respectively connected by a closed base or rear portion 22, 24. These channels are arranged with their open sides facing each other and the long legs 14 and "16 aligned (see FIG. 3).

Connecting the long leg 14 of channel '10 and long leg 16 of channel 12 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, there are provided two pairs of inter-pivoted links, these being indicated at 26, 28. Each link 26 and 28 is pivoted to a respective longer leg 14 and 16 at corresponding ends thereof and they are inter-pivoted together at 30.

The pivot 30 which may be any kind of pin or rivet is also pivoted to an elongated lever 32 so that as 32 is moved relatively downwardly in FIG. 1, the links 26 and 28 are relatively pivoted from the FIG. 1 position to the FIG. 2 position, thus drawing the channels 10 and 12 toward each other to clamp the rail 34 of the ladder, and of course a motion in the opposite direction opens the channels from the FIG. 2 to the FIG. 1 position so that the device may be removed or adjusted.

The link construction at 26 and 28 is repeated as clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and-2 and as indicated at 36 and 38, the latter being inter-pivoted as at 40 and the pivot at 40 is also connected to another operating lever indicated at 42.

The operating levers 32 and 42 are interconnected by means of operating handle 44 which has a pivot connection 46 adjustably secured in a selected one of a series of holes in the lower end of the lever 32 and it is also connected in spaced relation or eccentn'cally as at 48 with 3,089,563 Patented May 14, 1963 respect to the lever 42. When the handle 44 is moved in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 1, it causes the efi'ective length of links 32 and 42 combined to be shortened, thus bringing them into the position shown in FIG. 2, clamping the parts together. The reverse action causes the levers to eflectively lengthen, releasing the parts. Any kind of hook or loop means such as indicated at 50 may be utilized to hold the handle in the locked position.

It will be noted that the short lengs :18 and 20' are arranged so as to avoid the rungs 52 of the ladder and by simple manipulation of the parts the extensible leg may be adjusted to any position on the rail desired and it is quickly and easily clamped so as to provide for a full range of adjustment of the length of the ladder rail for use on uneven or sloping ground or any other surface.

If desired, the channels may have inturned feet-like members 54 to provide for extra stability. The feet 54 of course prevent the channels sinking into the ground at their ends so as to maintain the correct adjustment desired.

Having thus described our invention and the advantages thereof, we do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what we claim is:

l. A separate detachable unit providing an extensible leg for a ladder, said unit comprising a pair of channel members, means holding said channel members in facing relationship so as to grip the side rail of a ladder there between, said means comprising two spaced pairs of interpivoted links, each link of each pair being individually pivoted to a part of its respective channel member, two levers, one lever being pivoted to each pair of links at the inter-pivot point thereof, said levers extending toward each other and overlapping, and an operating handle separately pivoted to both of said levers in the overlapping area thereof and in offset relation so that when the operating handle is turned it selectively effectively shortens and lengthens the combined lengths of the two levers, in order to close and open the unit in adjusted position along the ladder rail.

2. The unit of claim 1 wherein said channel members each include side flanges of unequal length, the longer flanges being aligned with each other at the outside edge of the ladder rail and the shorter flanges being aligned with each other at the inside edge thereof so as to avoid contact with the rungs of the ladder.

3. The unit of claim 1 wherein said channel members each include side flanges of unequal length, the longer flanges being aligned with each other at the outside edge of the ladder rail and the shorter flanges being aligned with each other at the inside edge thereof so as to avoid contact with the rungs of the ladder, said links being secured to the longer flanges of the channel members.

4. The unit of claim 1 including means for adjustably securing the handle along the length of one of said links.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 427,035 Benedict May 6, 1890 1,775,465 Kirkpatrick Sept. 9, 1930 2,567,989 Check Sept. 18, 1951 

1. A SEPARATE DETACHABLE UNIT, PROVIDING AN EXTENSIBLE LEG FOR A LADDER, SAID UNIT COMPRISING A PAIR OF CHANNEL MEMBERS, MEANS HOLDING SAID CHANNEL MEMBERS IN FACING RELATIONSHIP SO AS TO GRIP THE SIDE RAIL OF A LADDER THEREBETWEEN, SAID MEANS COMPRISING TWO SPACED PAIRS OF INTERPIVOTED LINKS, EACH LINK OF EACH PAIR BEING INDIVIDUALLY PIVOTED TO A PART OF ITS RESPECTIVE CHANNEL MEMBER, TWO LEVERS, ONE LEVER BEING PIVOTED TO EACH PAIR OF LINKS AT THE INTER-PIVOT POINT THEREOF, SAID LEVERS EXTENDING TOWARD EACH OTHER AND OVERLAPPING, AND AN OPERATING HANDLE SEPARATELY PIVOTED TO BOTH OF SAID LEVERS IN THE OVERLAPPING AREA THEREOF AND IN OFFSET RELATION SO THAT WHEN THE OPERATING HANDLE IS TURNED IT SELECTIVELY EFFECTIVELY SHORTENS AND LENGTHENS THE COMBINED LENGTHS OF THE TWO LEVERS, IN ORDER TO CLOSE AND OPEN THE UNIT IS ADJUSTED POSITION ALONG THE LADDER RAIL. 